Jurupa Valley (
Serrano: ''Hurumpa'') is a city in northwestern
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a County (United States), county located in the Southern California, southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most ...
, United States. It was the location of one of the earliest non-native settlements in the county,
Rancho Jurupa. The Rancho was initially an outpost of the
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel () is a Californian mission and historic landmark in San Gabriel, California. It was founded by the Spanish Empire on the Nativity of Mary September 8, 1771, as the fourth of what would become twenty-one Spanish mi ...
, then a
Mexican land grant in 1838. The name is derived from a Native American village that existed in the area prior to the arrival of Europeans.
On March 8, 2011, voters approved a
ballot measure
A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
, Measure A, to
incorporate
Incorporation may refer to:
* Incorporation (business), the creation of a business or corporation
* Incorporation of a place, the creation of municipal corporation such as a city or county
* Incorporation (academic), awarding a degree based on the ...
and form the city of ''Jurupa Valley''. The effective date of incorporation was July 1, 2011.
Residents of the area had previously voted on incorporation in 1992, but rejected that measure, along with a competing ballot measure that would have incorporated
Mira Loma.
Jurupa Valley was the latest city in the state of California to incorporate until 2024 when
Mountain House incorporated in
San Joaquin County
San Joaquin County ( ; , meaning " St. Joachim"), officially the County of San Joaquin, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 779,233. The county seat is Stockton.
San Jo ...
.
The city of Jurupa Valley covers approximately , and had a population of 105,053 as of the
2020 census. It is bordered by the cities of
Eastvale,
Norco, and
Riverside in Riverside County and the cities of
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
,
Fontana,
Rialto
The Rialto is a central area of Venice, Italy, in the ''sestiere'' of San Polo. It is, and has been for many centuries, the financial and commercial heart of the city. Rialto is known for its prominent markets as well as for the monumental Ria ...
, Bloomington and
Colton in neighboring
San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County ( ), officially the County of San Bernardino and sometimes abbreviated as S.B. County, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of th ...
.
History
The area was first inhabited by the Gabrielino Tribe and the Serrano Tribe.
Etymology
Although there was no geographic feature or town officially named ''Jurupa Valley'' prior to the establishment of the city in 2011, the term ''Jurupa Valley'' is known to have been used as early as 1887 when referring to lands along the northeast side of the
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river entirely within Southern California in the United States. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows for most of its length through San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino and Riversid ...
opposite the
city of Riverside. The name ''Jurupa'' was derived from the 1838
Mexican land grant Rancho Jurupa, which the Jurupa Valley area had been part of. The Rancho in turn derived its name from a previous Jurupa rancho operated by the
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel () is a Californian mission and historic landmark in San Gabriel, California. It was founded by the Spanish Empire on the Nativity of Mary September 8, 1771, as the fourth of what would become twenty-one Spanish mi ...
, until the mission was disbanded through the
Mexican secularization act of 1833.
The first rancho was named for the Native American village Jurupa that existed in the area prior to the arrival of Mexican colonizers. Both
Serrano and
Gabrieleño
The Kizh or Kit’c ( ) are an Indigenous people of California, the historically and ethnographically documented lineal descendants of the Mission Indians of San Gabriel. They belong to a group commonly known by the Spanish name Gabrieleño.
Th ...
peoples lived in the area. The Gabrieleño referred to the village as ''Jurungna'' or ''Hurungna''.
The exact meaning of the word ''Jurupa'' is disputed. The 1890 book, ''An Illustrated History of Southern California'', states that the word Jurupa was a greeting, meaning ″peace and friendship″, used by the Native Americans when the first Catholic priest visited the area. In 1902 Father Juan Caballeria, in his ''History of San Bernardino Valley; From the Padres to the Pioneer'', states that the word was derived from ''Jurumpa'', meaning watering place.
[Caballería, pp. 38-39] Later linguistic studies concluded that the name likely refers to ''Juru'', the
Artemisia californica
''Artemisia californica'', also known as California sagebrush, is a species of western North American shrub in the Asteraceae, sunflower family.
In the western United States, California sagebrush is grown in native plant gardens and as a drough ...
(California sagebrush), common in the area.
Incorporation
On June 2, 1992, under measures E, F, and G, the first effort to form a city was voted down by the electorate. Measure E, whether or not to incorporate Jurupa and Mira Loma, lost 76% to 24%. Measure F, whether to vote city council members by district or at large, if incorporation passed, was 69% district, and 31% at large. Measure G, the selection of a city name, had the following results; Jurupa 40%, Rancho Jurupa 23%, West Riverside 21%, and Camino Real 16%. At the time Jurupa was described as including the neighborhoods of Rubidoux, Pedley and Glen Avon.
On March 8, 2011, a second proposal for incorporation was put before the voters. This time the measure passed with 54% voting yes, 46% voting no, and with an effective date of July 1, 2011. At the time the new city was estimated to have a population of 88,000, and included the communities of Mira Loma, Glen Avon, Sky Country, Indian Hills, Pedley, Rubidoux, Belltown, Jurupa, Jurupa Hills, and Sunnyslope.
The city immediately faced the possibility of disincorporation when the State of California passed Senate Bill 89, which shifted millions of dollars of vehicle license fees away from cities. The new city struggled for several years, and in 2014 notified the ''Riverside County Local Agency Formation Commission'' that it might be necessary to disincorporate. In September 2015, Senate Bill 25 was passed by the California Assembly and Senate to restore funding to cities, but was vetoed by then Governor
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic P ...
. Later in the month Senate Bill 107 was signed by the governor. It remediated many of the outstanding debts of Jurupa Valley, as well as three other recently incorporated cities in Riverside County.
Historic events
* Between 1926 and 1928 the
Wineville Chicken Coop Murders, a series of abductions and murders of young boys, took place within Jurupa Valley city limits. At the time the community of Wineville was unincorporated. Today it is the Jurupa Valley neighborhood of Mira Loma.
* The
Stringfellow Acid Pits, a toxic waste dump and a
Superfund
Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the United States Environmental Pro ...
site, became the center of national news coverage in the early 1980s.
Demographics
The city of Jurupa Valley was incorporated in 2011 out of the amalgamation of nine communities:
Belltown,
Crestmore Heights CDP,
Glen Avon CDP, Indian Hills, Jurupa Hills,
Mira Loma CDP,
Pedley CDP,
Rubidoux CDP, and
Sunnyslope CDP.
[
]
2020 census
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, as of 2020, the population was 105,053 with 71.4% of the population of Jurupa Valley being Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% of the population being White non-Hispanic, 3.2% of the population being Black or African American, 3.6% of the population being Asian, and 3.6% of the population is of two races or more.
Government and politics
Local government
Jurupa Valley is governed by a city council, whose members represent specific districts of the city. The city council is led by the mayor, who is elected by and among the councillors. The mayor serves a one-year term, while councilmembers serve for four years.
Jurupa Valley lies within District Two of Riverside County, represented by Supervisor Karen Spiegel. Eastern Jurupa Valley will become part of District One in January 2025 due to redistricting.
City parks are served and maintained by the Jurupa Area Recreation and Parks District. Water and Sanitation is provided by the Jurupa Community Services District and Rubidoux Community Services District.
State and federal representation
In the California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature (the lower house being the California State Assembly). The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
...
, Jurupa Valley is in .
In the California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...
, Jurupa Valley is in .
In the House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
, Jurupa Valley lies entirely within the 39th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Mark Takano
Mark Allan Takano ( ; born December 10, 1960) is an American politician and academic who has served in the United States House of Representatives since 2013, representing California's 41st congressional district from 2013 to 2023 and the 39th c ...
.
California is represented in the United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
by Democrats Adam Schiff
Adam Bennett Schiff (born June 22, 1960) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from California, a seat he has held since 2024. A m ...
and Alex Padilla
Alejandro Padilla (born March 22, 1973) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from California, a seat he has held since 2021. A member of the Democrati ...
.
Politics
As of February 10, 2023, there are 51,709 registered voters in Jurupa Valley. Of these, 23,505 (45.5%) are registered Democrats, 13,254 (25.6%) are registered Republicans, 11,330 (21.9%) are independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
, and 3,350 (6.5%) are registered with other parties.
Education
Jurupa Valley is home to the Jurupa Unified School District. The district operates seventeen elementary schools, four middle schools, two continuation schools, and three high schools, including:
* Jurupa Valley High School
* Rubidoux High School
* Patriot High School
A small portion of Jurupa Valley attends schools in the Corona-Norco Unified School District.
Transportation
Public transportation in Jurupa Valley is provided by Riverside Transit Agency. Also, Jurupa Valley/Pedley station (formerly Pedley Station) is served b
Metrolink
Jurupa Valley is home to Flabob Airport, a small public-use airport. However, commercial flights are served by the nearby Ontario International Airport
Ontario International Airport is an international airport east of downtown Ontario, California, Ontario, in San Bernardino County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino. It is ow ...
.
The major freeways in Jurupa Valley are Interstate 15
Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway in the Western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexican border in San Diego County and stretches north to Alberta, Ca ...
, which serves as the city's western border, and California State Route 60, which runs along the northern side of the city.
Culture, sports & recreation
Notable sites include:
* Jensen Alvarado Ranch
*Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center
The Inland Empire metropolitan area and region of Southern California, which sits directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, covers more than . The metropolitan area consists of Riverside County, California, Riverside County and San Bern ...
*Rancho Jurupa Regional Park
*Golf facilities:
**Goose Creek Golf Club
**Indian Hills Country Club
**Jurupa Hills Country Club
**Oak Quarry Golf Club
Geography
Jurupa Valley is located north and west of the Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river entirely within Southern California in the United States. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows for most of its length through San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino and Riversid ...
across from Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...
, south of the Riverside–San Bernardino
San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...
county line, and east of Interstate 15
Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway in the Western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexican border in San Diego County and stretches north to Alberta, Ca ...
. It includes the nine distinct neighborhoods, or communities, of Belltown, Crestmore Heights, Glen Avon, Indian Hills, Jurupa Hills, Pedley, Rubidoux, Sunnyslope, and Mira Loma.
Climate
References
Bibliography
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Citations
External links
*
{{authority control
Cities in Riverside County, California
Incorporated cities and towns in California
Populated places established in 2011
2011 establishments in California